The Azores

Brief information on the islands of the Azores Archipelago

São Miguel

The island of São Miguel covers an area of 744.6 square kilometers. It is the largest island of the Azores Archipelago, occupying 32% of the surface. It measures 23 km of north-south and 63 km of maximum east-west. The highest point is the Pico da Vara with 1103 m of altitude. The population is about 135 000 inhabitants. Ponta Delgada on the south coast and Ribeira Grande on the north coast are the main cities of the island of São Miguel.

Terceira

The island of Terceira covers an area of 400.3 square kilometers. It is the third largest island of the Azores Archipelago, occupying 17% of the surface. It measures 18 km of north-south and 29 km of maximum east-west. The highest point is 1021 m above sea level, located in the Sierra de Santa Bárbara. Population is about 56 000 inhabitants. Angra de Heroísmo and Praia da Vitória are the main cities on the island of Terceira.

Santa Maria

The island of Santa Maria covers an area of 96.9 square kilometers. It is the third smallest island of the Archipelago, occupying 4% of the surface. It measures 10 km from north-south and 10 km from maximum east-west. The highest point of the island is the Pico Alto, with 587 meters of altitude. The population is about 5 600 inhabitants. Vila do Porto is the main Vila of the island of Santa Maria.

Pico

The island of Pico has a surface of 444.8 square kilometers. It is the second largest island of the Archipelago, occupying 19% of the surface. It measures 20 km from north-south and 45 km from maximum east-west. The highest point of the island is the mountain of Pico with 2351 m of altitude (the highest point of Portugal and third highest of the Atlantic). The population is about 14 900 inhabitants. Lajes do Pico, Madalena and São Roque do Pico are the main villages on the island of Pico.

São Jorge

The island of São Jorge covers an area of 243.6 square kilometers. It is the fourth largest island of the Archipelago, occupying 11% of the surface. It measures 25 km north-south and 49 km east-west maximum. The highest point of the island is the Pico de Esperança with 1053m of altitude. The population is about 9 500 inhabitants. Calheta and Velas are the main Villas on the island of S. Jorge.

Graciosa

The island of Graciosa has an approximate area of 60.7 square kilometers. It is the second smallest island of the Archipelago, occupying 3% of the surface. It has a roughly oval shape, measures 10 km from north-south and 11 km from maximum east-west. It is the least mountainous of the Azorean islands, reaching 402 m of maximum altitude in the east edge of the Caldera. The population is about 5000 inhabitants. Santa Cruz da Graciosa is the main village on the island of Graciosa.

Faial

The island of Faial has an approximate area of 173 sq. Km. It is the fifth largest island of the Archipelago, occupying 7% of the surface. The island is roughly shaped like an irregular pentagon, 21 km long in an east-west direction and a maximum width of 14 km north-south, (separated from the island of Pico by a narrow sea arm of 8,3 km Or 4.5 nautical miles wide, known as the Faial channel). The resident population is around 15 700 inhabitants. The highest point of the island is the south of Caldeira, the Gorda Head with 1,043 meters of altitude. Horta is the main city of Faial Island.

Flores

The island of Flores has an area of 141 square kilometers. It is the fourth smallest island of the Archipelago, occupying 6% of the surface. It measures 17 km of north-south and 12 km of maximum east-west. The highest point of the island is the Morro Alto with 914 m of altitude. The population is about 4150 inhabitants. Lajes das Flores and Santa Cruz das Flores are the main Villas on the island of Flores.

Corvo

The island of Corvo has an area of approximately 17.1 square kilometers. It is the smallest island of the Archipelago, occupying 1% of the surface. It measures 6 km from north-south and 4 km from maximum east-west. The highest point of the island is the Morro dos Homens on the southern edge of the Caldeirão, with 718 meters of altitude. The population is about 450 inhabitants. Vila Nova do Corvo is the main Vila of Corvo Island.